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HD-197: No Dem Candidate on Special Election Ballot, Court Rules

HD 197Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey ruled today that Democratic candidate Emilio Vasquez cannot appear on the ballot in the special election for the 197th House district.  

Covey had previously ruled that Frederick Ramirez was not eligible to run for the seat.  

“Judge Covey’s decision places political parties in an impossible position when it comes to dealing with ballot challenges, and deprives the voters of the 197th of their right to a fair choice on the ballot on March 21,” Adam Bonin, the lawyer for the Democratic Party in the case, said to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Democratic Party immediately filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.  

If the ruling stands, Republican Lucinda Little will be the only candidate on the ballot on the 21st.  

“We are optimistic that we can take this seat and show voters in the 197th what it really means to be democratically represented by somebody who cares,” Little said in a statement released after the ruling.  

The district is 85% Democratic by registration and 5% Republican. Democrats say they can win the seat even if the ruling stands.  

“We are confident that if it comes to a write-in campaign, we will be able to win,” Nathan Davidson, Executive Director for the House Democratic Campaign Committee told PoliticsPA.  

Green Party candidate Cheri Honkala is also running a write-in campaign.

The seat was vacated when Democratic Rep. Leslie Acosta resigned in January after pleading guilty to federal charges related to embezzlement.

20 Responses

  1. are you ready is to vote for Lucinda little is to win this upset special election in march 21st 2017, and a full term in 2018.

  2. Write in CHERI HONKALA — she’s a great candidate and it’s a golden opportunity to send a message to the Ds AND THE Rs!! People are sick of their old boys and partisanship. HONKALA!

  3. While Anne Covey has been fairly open with her political biases, attending Tea Party events and throwing plenty of red meat, the fact that it even came to this is embarrassing.

  4. Cheri Honkala has been fighting for the poor and homeless for over three decades. YouTube or google her, the record speaks for itself. She is the best choice for the district despite being a write in.

  5. I think for Lucinda Little will win by a upset with her being the only candidate in the race.

  6. Putin style election; only one candidate on the ballot. Gee, ain’t democracy grand!!!

  7. please please vote for Lucinda Little in the special election in 2017 and for a full term in 2018 because I know for she will win this thing in 2017.

  8. God, state Dems are all idiots, especially the state party leadership–read: Marcel and Sincere

  9. Maybe Sincere and Corey can ride around in separate Uber’s and find the D’s a candidate.

  10. maybe for Lucinda Little might run in the democratic/republican lines in the 2018 midterm elections. and most likely to be cacausing with the republicans still by then.

  11. How can a major party with 85% registration have difficulty finding a candidate with no residency issues, with all the available choices?

  12. Dems will win this seat by write in. How can this court deny a major party a candidate in a special election?

  13. HDCC is a complete joke, but I think this screw up falls more to the Philadelphia Democratic Party.

    Still, the Democrats will win this as a write in easily.

  14. smarter-

    We need to have a look at the HDCC charter or mission statement, because they’ve been this way for years and the previous bumblefucks weren’t much better. Maybe there is a clause that they have to maximally screw up winnable races and piss away money on unwinnable races.

  15. I think for Lucinda Little will do well with joining martina white and john taylor in the republican philadelphia state delegation in 2017.

  16. I’m guessing for I’m going to get my wish of having 3 Republicans in the Phildelphia’s Delegation.

  17. The HDCC’s incompetency is continually astounding. Despite exhibiting an attitude of perpetual smugness in all affairs, they never cease to mess up in virtually every possible way. Their ineptitude has lost districts in Philly, Western PA and Southeastern PA. Time for change!

  18. Knock knock
    Who’s there?
    Boo
    Boo who?
    Crying won’t help…VETE!

  19. If the HDCC can’t win a write-in in this district they should disband the organization completely.

    After last year’s fiascoes and pissing away money on unwinnable races, (while refusing to field or help in other races), the Nathan and his staff should have resigned or been fired. The HDCC’s incompetence has become legendary.

    As for Covey, she’s a political hack in a robe.

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